Not a Hero
by Happy-nerd
Summary: After the Battle of New York everything is falling into place. Or is it? The bonds in the Team grows stronger but one person doesn't seem to be able to change his views. First impressions is hard to change but Steve didn't even give Tony a chance.
1. Chapter 1

This is just a small teaser for a story I have in mind and this first chapter is more of a character-study without plot. But do not fear my friends! I actually have a plot, almost, and if you want to I will try and write it for you. Please remember that I'm from Sweden so English is not my first langue, and all the weird grammar and spelling mistakes are completely my own. Something that is not mine is the Avengers, so don't get any ideas ;)

I'm not so happy with the way this came out but hopefully the real story will be better. I've never written something like this before so that might be the problem. Practice makes perfect they say and this is only practice and therefore not perfect ^^

Now let's go on with this thing!

**Not a Hero, Chapter One**

After the battle with the Chitauri New York was in a weird combination of celebrations and grief. Everyone was happy for the city to have been saved but they also mourned for their lost ones. Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers was helping with the clean-ups and, as Fury put it, "Strengthening the spirits of the people by helping to clean up the mess you've made." When Tony started to complain about it being Lokis fault and not theirs Fury silenced him with a look that probably would have killed a weaker man.

So now they were in the middle of the very tiring work of moving the enormous flying fish things that lay scattered in the central city. The smaller Chitauri warriors were easy enough to move, the police and SHIELD took care of that, but even with Iron man, the God of thunder, a supersoldier and a pair of heavy lifting Quinn-jets maneuvered by the two spies the leviathas were hard to move. They had to cut them to pieces to be able to move them at all and the stench left everyone in a foul mood, as if their various injuries didn't do that already.

Every day after clean-ups they all returned to Stark Tower which Tony had generously offered as a base for the time being. It was central so they didn't have to travel far everyday and even if it had been damaged in the battle it was not uninhabitable. They had changed the broken windows but the God of Mischief-shaped holes in the floor were still there. Tony laughed every time he saw them and had even seen Bruce crack a smile when passing them.

Even if Tony would die before he admitted it he enjoyed having guests. It made the tower less empty when Pepper was at work and Bruce was like a dream come true. He could easily keep up when Tony started talking about science and after a couple of days he started to come up with his own ideas as well. It felt nice to have someone to bounce ideas with and Tony realized just how much more fun it was to do research when you had help from an other, equally intelligent, person.

Clint and Tony got on good terms almost immediately, and it all started with a prank Tony did on Thor. Steve was certainly NOT pleased with having a flour-covered demigod running around in the tower but Clint found it hilarious, and that's when the two men began a long friendship of pranks and silly jokes that no one else laughed at.

Natasha could be really scary but she never really hurt anyone, or at least she hadn't done that yet, so Tony guessed she was okey. Thor was hard to dislike, even for Tony, and he found the loud God surprisingly easy to be around. It probably had something to do with the way he was unable to lie or talk bad about anyone. I mean, even if the guy was angry with Loki for what he had done he didn't hate him. He just said that his brother needed at little time.

The problem was Captain America himself, Steve Rogers might be a symbol for a just and safe America but he sure as hell didn't impress Tony Stark. During his entire childhood Tony had been pushed aside by his father. A father that had been to busy with trying to find his old friend Steve to notice his own sons dazzling brilliance. When Tony was young he had done everything in his power to impress his father but as a teenager ha had realized that it was an useless affair and soon he had given up.

So when Tony realized that he would be meeting Rogers he had, despite his iron hard facade, been nervous. For despite how much he tried to deny it he couldn't just ignore the fact that he was going to meet the man that Howard had spent millions of dollars on trying to find, and by doing so neglecting his own son.

Tony had prepared himself, he had prepared for meeting a man so good that his own faults would shine like thousand suns, but the Captain had been a disappointment. He was as stiff as a cat whit a stick up its ass and he couldn't take a joke if the world depended on it. Tony also disapproved of the way he treated Bruce so Steve had immediately been classed as "not friendly" and Tony was determined to proceed with caution.

Tony faced Steve with his usual arrogance and self-confidence, it was after all the only shield he had against the world and he wasn't going to let it down any time soon. But the Captain had attacked it with a force so powerful that Tonys perfect mask had almost crumbled. Steve's words had cut deep, deeper than Tony was willing to admit, even to himself.

Steve had told him to stop pretending to be a hero and that he would never be able to sacrifice himself to save someone else. It had hurt but Tony plastered on his smirk and answered with his usual wit, "I think I would just cut the wire." After that their relationship went straight downhill, until the course of events forced them to cooperate.

A part of Tony hoped and believed that after the battle Steve must have realized that Tony wasn't just talk and if flying a nuke in to outer space wasn't self-sacrificing Tony didn't know what was. Of course that wasn't the reason Tony had done it, he didn't think about Steve for a second when he caught the nuke, all he had in mind was the thousands and thousands of people that would die if the nuke hit, and he did the most logic thing that he could do. The idea to put the nuke in the portal wasn't a fruit of his genius, it was just what anyone would have done. Tony didn't even se it as a sacrifice until Jarvis asked if he wanted to call Pepper and even then he never wavered in his decision.

But flying a nuke into outer space didn't seem to be enough to impress the good Captain, because on the night of the invasion, after Shawarma and medical attention, when the entire team lay scattered in Starks living room he still eyed Tony with suspicious looks and dark glares. It was obvious that no one else noticed and Tony didn't want to point it out or ask what the problem was so he just ignored it and went to sleep.

Steve continued to give Tony the disapproving glares throughout the week but since he never said or did anything Tony decided to ignore them. I mean, it was freaking Captain America, he wouldn't actually DO anything, right? So Tony minded his own business in hope that Steve would come around eventually, time would surely settle things and change the Captain's opinion of Tony, whatever it was.

Never had the genius been so wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm terribly sorry that it has taken so extremely long for me to post this chapter, but I just haven't had the inspiration. I wrote the first chapter in the car on my way to a burial (it might seem weird but I always have better inspiration when my emotions are stirred) and then I just haven't been able write this. But then I watched Iron Man 3 and got my inspiration back! (It's an amazing movie by the way) So here is now the second chapter, I hope it is better than the first even thought it doesn't happen so much. Hopefully the action will kick in for the next one!

I am so grateful for the reviews and I hope everyone will enjoy this chapter as well, it's a little bit longer that the last. Happy reading and stay nerdy!

I don't own this. (but I think it's really silly that you have to put in a disclaimer. I mean, this is a website for FANfiction so why would I own anything? Weird.)

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**Not a Hero, chapter two**

It had been a rough day and everyone was happy to hear the Captain call it a day over the open comm's. Tony flew straight home in his Iron Man suit while Clint picked up the others and flew the helicopter to the roof of Stark tower. When they got in Tony had already removed his suit and lay sprawled over the couch with a glass of scotch in his hand. Clint walked straight in just to collapse on the other couch and Natasha followed but sat down in a much more dignified way. Bruce sat down quietly in an armchair and immediately started reading the book he had left there in the morning. Thor turned on the TV and started watching some silly series but Steve lingered in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Pass me a drink, Stark" Clint spoke after taking a few deep breaths.  
"No way, feathers. You'll have to get one yourself, I'm dead beat tired." Tony answered and took a sip on his own drink. Clint let out an annoyed huff but Steve cut in before he could talk back.  
"Stop whining, Stark, you can't really be tired, 'cause the suit does all the work." That remark took Tony by surprise and for a moment he felt a complete loss of words but he didn't let that show. Instead he gave a dry smile, perfect after years practice, and passed back as if it was only a joke.  
"Are you jealous for not having your own super suit of armor?"  
"Hardly" Steve answered and his voice confused Tony jet again, was the Cap pulling his leg? He would have thought so if it had been anyone else than Rogers, because the man really didn't have any humor.  
"I'm taking a shower", Steve then announced before leaving the room and heading for his own floor.

When Tony heard the elevator door close he immediately relaxed, which was weird because he hadn't even realized that he'd been tense, and when he locked up he saw the strange gazes that the rest of the Avengers were giving him. Apparently he hadn't been the only one to notice Steve's jab.  
"So, is the soldier finally trying to make some jokes? Because if he is, I think he might need a few lessons." Tony was desperate to ease up the pressure in the room, because their gazes were really starting to disturb him. Luckily it seemed to work because Thor and Natasha looked back at the TV without questions.

"A lot of lessons", Clint mumbled and shook his head before he too turned to the TV. Bruce was the only one not to look away and his gaze seemed to search for answers in Tony's expressionless face. Eventually he gave up and returned to his book. Tony stayed in the room long enough to soothe out any suspicions of him fleeing before he did just that.

He fled down to his lab and it wasn't until the bright lights and humming from computers surrounded him that he allowed himself to relax. Ever since he had been old enough to sit up on his own he had enjoyed building things, and after he had built his first circuit board at the age of four he had only grown better at it. Just to be in his workshop and tinker with something made him calm down, but if the issue was larger, like the fact that _Captain America_ had openly shown dislike for Tony, he needed something more complicating to distract himself with. So that's why the billionaire went straight to the blueprints for the latest suit upgrade.

After the battle with Loki and his unfortunate trip into outer space and quick fall back down Tony had started to consider the benefits of making the suit space-safe. This was, just as he'd known it would be, really hard. The problem was the atmosphere, because even if he had an oxygen tank, which he already did, the immense heat that builds up while flying through it would severely damage the suit, not to mention the person flying it. Sure, it wasn't a problem if he flew through a wormhole into another dimension, but for some reason Tony didn't suspect that to be the standard case. So he had to find a way to make the suit more heat and pressure resistant.

After almost an hour of considering this problem without much success, because he didn't want to make the suit much thicker or bigger than it already was, Tony's thoughts began to drift. The second they fell on the subject of Steve and he couldn't chase the thoughts away he stopped working on the suit, because he really didn't want to work on his baby with the Captain in mind. Instead he went over to the engine of the car he had started to build after the attack on New York. Perhaps it was stupid to start working on something as complex as a car when the city still was in ruins but he really needed the distraction of something easy to work with his hands on. He had just started with the cylinders when Bruce knocked on the door. Tony let him in but didn't look up from his work.  
"Need any help?" Bruce asked even thought he probably knew the answer, because when Tony was working on mechanics he never wanted help and he rarely needed it. The few times he did need help he preferred to have the help of Dummy, Butterfingers or any other of his own creations. Therefore Bruce was not surprised by his answer.  
"Nope, not right now, I'm just doing some easy stuff on this car. No need to get you all dirty and covered in oil", Bruce nodded in response but he didn't leave and soon Tony found himself to have abandoned the car and started on the research he and Bruce did together on the alien slime from the resent attack. Just because Tony preferred to do mechanics on his own it didn't mean that he didn't love to have Bruce's help and company while working on anything else.

The hours slipped away when they worked but it wasn't until Bruce dozed off over the microscope that Tony realized just how late it was. For himself the time wasn't a problem, he was used to work through the nights, but he knew that Bruce needed the sleep.  
"Hey, Brucy-boy?" Tony whispered as he shook the doctor. The scientist awoke with a start and stared frantically around himself until he spotted Tony and relaxed.  
"What time is it?" He asked with a bleary voice as he pushed the microscope away and started to rise.  
"Two fifteen" Tony answered with a voice way to brisk for the time of night.  
"Oh boy", Bruce muttered as he scratched his head, "For how long have I been out?"  
"Not so long, forty minutes tops." Tony made his way back over to the car engine as he spoke, with all intentions of reoccupy himself with it.  
"Forty minutes?!" The doctor exclaimed before he just shook his head in dismay. "You should have woken me earlier"  
"Nah, you looked so peaceful, snoring and drooling all over the samples." Tony smiled playfully at the doctors aghast expression.  
"Well I'm going to sleep and so are you." These words effectively wiped the smile from the genius face, he didn't want to sleep. Not at all. He told his friend as much but Bruce didn't care about his feelings as he dragged Tony out from the lab and to the elevator. Sure, Tony could probably have resisted him if he really wanted, as long as Bruce didn't hulk out, but the scientist cheated. He used that stern and slightly disapproving look that Tony just couldn't say no to. Pepper had used it for years but it was a real pain in the ass that Bruce now had copied it and then adapted it to his own version.

When Bruce left Tony in his room he considered sneaking back down to the lab but when he remembered Bruce's face he changed his mind. A few minutes later Tony lay in his bed but sleep just didn't want to come. He suspected sleep hated him, even thought he couldn't imagine why. Time continued to pass by and Tony started missing Pepper more and more. After a quick visit straight after the fight she had had to return to Malibu for Stark Industries business. At first she didn't want to go but Tony had convinced her that she should, since they both knew that she had to. He knew that she was worried about him and didn't want to leave him alone after such a challenging experience as death, but Tony had brushed her worries away. He regretted that decision now because he missed her so damn much. He had missed her from the second she left but each day it had only gotten worse. When he lay alone in bed at night he missed her so much it almost physically hurt, but since it was nothing he could do about it so he pushed the feelings away and tried to force himself to sleep. Eventually it worked, but that's when the nightmares kicked in.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone! I gladly present to you… Chapter three! This update was much quicker than the last and hopefully the next one will also come within the near future, but I can't promise you anything because school is kind of taking my time right now. (I really should be studying right now, but you know how it is)

Thank you so much for the reviews, each one is like a huge chocolate bar and they inspire me to continue writing. I'm also very thankful for everyone who has favorited or followed this, because they also encourage me! Oh, please feel free to point out any grammar or spelling mistakes that you notice, because I have no beta and English isn't my first langue so to get my mistakes pointed out so that I can correct the really helps :D

Please enjoy the chapter!

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**Not a Hero, chapter three**

_He was falling. Everything was black around him, everything except the huge explosion. He tried to fight the darkness but it dragged him down. Jarvis didn't respond and his suit was shutting down. The darkness kept coming closer, it took over completely and for a second he relished in the calm of darkness but suddenly he was wide awake. His head was pushed down into ice cold water. He held his breath but soon his lungs started to scream for air. When it felt like they were going to explode he was dragged up from the water. He took a huge breath for air but he hadn't even finished before he was pushed back down again. This time he wasn't so lucky. His mouth was still open from breathing and water rushed in. He tried to breathe in in panic but his mouth and nose only filled with more water. It felt like the ice was burning his insides and sparks erupted from the cables connected to his chest. They burned him to but he barely noticed because he couldn't breathe! He needed air. Another second of agony passed and he couldn't stand it anymore, he was dying.._

Tony awoke gasping for air. He flailed his arms but the sheets held him down, panic overwhelmed him but after a little while he realized were he were. He was home, not really home because that was Malibu, but he was in the Stark Tower. Not in a cave. His arc reactor was in place and he had survived the fall from outer space, Hulk had made sure of that.

Tony lay still in his bed, breathing heavily and trying to push away the images from the nightmare. The light from his arc reactor comforts him but he misses Pepper's calming presence beside him. After a few minutes of just breathing he starts to get cold and he realizes that he is drenched with sweat. He's considering taking a shower but when he closes his eyes flashes from his nightmare passes by and he shudders at the mere thought of having water running over his head. Usually it isn't a problem for the billionaire to take a shower, but right after a nightmare he really can't stand it. So instead he just lays there and stares into the darkness.

He can't sleep, he can't even close his eyes, but a look at the watch on his nightstand shows him that it's only four in the morning so he just lays there. Too tired to get up and go to his workshop and too alert, he won't even think the word _scared_, to sleep. Seconds turn to minutes and minutes to hours. Soon the first light of dawn brakes through his windows and Tony is silently grateful for Jarvis knowing exactly what he needs, because right now the light is a blessing. It tells him that morning has arrived and it gives him a real reason to fight down the tiredness and get up, to get up and away from the nightmares.

Tony sits up in bed the moment the watch turns six am. The sweat has dried so he just puts on a pair of slacks and an old t-shirt before walking out from his room and towards the shared kitchen. He is still so tired that he doesn't really look were he's going so it isn't until he's standing beside the coffee machine that he notices Steve sitting at the table eating from a bowl of porridge.  
"Morning Rogers", Tony mumbles as he's tries to suppress a yawn.  
"If you're so tired why don't you sleep?" Captain America asks instead of offering a greeting. "You complain about being tired but still you don't sleep. That's quite stupid", Steve's voice is calm but he looks at Tony in a way that doesn't make him entirely comfortable and his eyebrows are raised in disapproval. Tony shakes away the bad feeling that's creeping up his spine and answers with a smooth line that isn't really a lie, but is still nowhere near the real truth. Because there is no way that he's telling captain superhero that he's having nightmares.  
"Sleep is unnecessary." Rogers snorts at that statement and the action is so out of character for his good-guy façade that Tony almost loses his mask of collected arrogance.  
"No, sleep is necessary and if you mess up today because you are tired I will not be the one to help you." His voice is cold as ice and Tony has to force his face into an arrogant smirk.  
"Sure sure, Cap." Then he picks up his coffee and prepares to leave. "I'm going to do something useful now but please feel free to tell me when we're heading out." With those words the inventor strides out of the kitchen and heads for his lab without looking back.

Tony felt like he had just arrived at his lab when Jarvis alerts him about a call from Fury. For a second Tony wants to ignore it, just so that he can evade meeting Rogers right now but then he shakes himself up. Even thought he is used to running away from problems he is not the kind of person who runs from a person. Instead he will face them straight on and be as arrogant and cocky as possible. Sure, it might not solve the problem and it will probably even make it worse but at least it feels good. So Tony leaves his car and heads up to the meeting room were the other Avengers, minus Clint, are waiting. Fury is looking just as gloomy as usual on the big screen that is his normal way of contacting the Avengers before every day of cleanups.

"Why did you call us so damn early?" Clint mutters as he stumbles in to the room, still in PJ's and with his hair standing in all directions. Natasha snorts and then covers her mouth, as if to hold something in. Laughter, probably.  
"It's seven thirty in the morning, Barton, and that is not "Damn early"" Fury grumbles. Tony would normally agree with Clint but since he couldn't sleep today it doesn't really matter. He lets his eyes sweep over the table and its occupants. Thor looks just like he always does but Tony knows that he hasn't had time to drink his morning coffee, because if he had he would be much louder. Natasha is her normal collected self and you couldn't tell if it was morning or evening by just locking at her appearance. Tony suspected that you could wake her in the middle of the night and she would still look wide awake and be properly dressed in a couple of seconds. Steve was.. Well, he was himself. Wide awake, alert and hanging on to Fury's every word. His hair was wet from the shower and his clothes were clean and neat. Perhaps he sensed Tony's eyes on him because he turned towards him but Tony quickly let his gaze wander on without meeting his eyes. At first look Bruce seemed just as alert as Steve or Natasha but when Tony studied him closer he realized that the other genius's eyes almost were closed and that he breathed deep and calmly. The bastard was as good as still asleep! Somewhat annoyed by that Tony turned to Fury again as he started talking.

"Today you will not do cleanups, they are almost finished but that is not the issue here. SHIELD have localized a group of people, probably terrorists that have gotten their hands on Chitauri weapons" He looks grim as he speak but Tony would have none of it, terrorist was always a touchy subject for him and the problems with Rogers just drove him over the edge.  
"Are you telling me that SHIELD just let some terrorists waltz in and steal alien weapons? Weren't you guys supposed to, and I quote; "Take care of the weapons while the Avengers are seen in public cleaning up"? I-We- trusted you with that and see what happened. Do you have any idea what those guys could-"  
"Stark!" Fury shouted. "Shut up and listen!" Tony stopped his angry outburst and sat down again, which was weird because he hadn't even noticed himself standing up.  
"I know this is a problem and that's why I contacted you. The Avengers will head out right now and fix this. Their base is located a few miles north of the city boarder and we assume that it's about fifty men with Chitauri weapons and normal, human, shotguns. You leave in fifteen minutes."

The second Fury stopped talking everyone jumped up from their seats and headed for the door. No one complained about being tired anymore and even Clint looked serious and determined in his pajamas. Tony headed down to his workshop, and as fast as he could he changed out of the slacks and into his tight "under the suit" clothes.  
"Get the suit Jarvis, we're heading out for real now"  
"As you command, sir", the AI answered with his normal collected and slightly British voice. A door opened in the wall and Tony stepped in to his suit. As he felt it closing around him he could finally breathe out, because in the suit he was safe. In the suit no one could hurt him. When he wore it he was equal or even better than Captain America, he could fly and fight and protect himself. Even thought Tony Stark wasn't a hero in the eyes of the world, Ironman was, and it was Ironman that left Stark Tower that morning.


	4. Chapter 4

I really can't apologize enough for the terrible delay for this chapter. I just haven't had the inspiration for it and then it have been school.. Now I'm finally on summer vacation but I still haven't been able to write it, until I sat on a buss for seven hours and had nothing to do. So here it is! I sincerely hope that you haven't abandoned me or this story because I haven't abandoned you! So no I will leave you to enjoy this in peace!

There is an old Swedish saying that goes: "The person who waits for something good never wait to long", but unfortunately I can't promise that this will be good..

Now you can finally read and hopefully enjoy this thing that I don't own!

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**Not a Hero, chapter four**

Tony left Manhattan behind him in a few seconds and soon the high towers turned to ordinary houses. He considered if it was unwise to go by himself and leave the others behind but at the same moment as the thought hit him he pushed it away. Ha had fought terrorists before, and he had always been alone. Hell, he'd even threatened Loki by himself! So a few terrorists shouldn't be a problem, even if they happened to have alien weapons.

The sun had just settled over the ocean and it made it harder to see because of the bright yellow light that illuminated everything, but even thought Tony was annoyed by it he couldn't help but to think of what a magnificent view his suit would be in the sunshine, a glistening and shining wonder of technology. A smile spread on his face at the thought but then Jarvis interrupted his thoughts.  
"Sir, we are closing in on the target now" That brought Tony out of his musings and his focus was immediately on the small peninsula that waited before him.

When he got closer Tony could see the building better but the sight didn't please him at all. On the roof and in every window there were soldiers, on the walkways on top of the walls and in towers. Tony supposed that the fortress would be beautiful with its many towers, high walls and big windows but the picture was ruined by the guards carrying both rifles and Citauri weapons. Even the morning sun reflected on the water could make something that ugly look beautiful.

"Ironman, don't go in alone, stay away until we arrive" Steve's voice flew in over the comm. and he sounded every bit the soldier that he was.  
"Yeah, you have to save some bad guys for me" Clint skimmed in and Tony could practically hear the teasing smile on his face.  
"You sure you can handle the big bad terrorists?" Tony teased back but he also slowed down until he was hovering.  
"This is a mission, so I want full focus, no playing around"  
"Aw, don't be so hard on us, Cap" Tony whined. "Hey Katniss, can you pull the stick out if his arse?" The only answer he got to that was an undignified snort and Clint's loud laughter.

"Sir, you're under attack" That snapped Tony back to reality and he immediately went into his fight mode, with focus completely on the enemy. They had started to fire at him from some of the highest towers even thought the distance made the aim very bad. Tony easy evaded the shots but if they started to fire at him he could impossibly let it continue without answering fire.  
"Jarvis, prepare the small long range stunning missiles and lock on targets."  
"Targets locked" About two handfuls of soldiers were marked on his visor-screen.  
"Fire" All the men fell exactly the same time and Tony knew that they would stay asleep for almost twelve hours.

"Cease fire or these two will die" A voice was broadcasted from the fortress and Tony immediately stopped in mid air as his eyes searched for the supposed hostages. The sight that met him made his gut twist in anger. Two women, one in her late teens and the other around forty were pushed down on their knees, hands behind their heads and faces white with fright. The elder woman had blood running down her face from a wound on her temple.  
"Let them go, they haven't done anything" Tony said, voice cold with anger.  
"Not until you land here and remove your suit" Tony noticed that it wasn't anyone that he could see that spoke so that means that the leader wasn't out here.  
"Are you to much of a pussy to meet me in the open? Do you prefer to hide in your little fortress?" Tony made his voice sound teasing in order to take their attention away from the hostages and make them focus on him instead. At first it appeared to work because everyone on the wall where the hostages was turned and looked at him but then one of them turned around and placed a hard kick in the stomach of the younger woman. She cried out in pain and Tony bit his teeth together so hard that it hurt.  
"Now will you come without arguing? You should hurry up because I know that your team is coming and I want to get this over with before they arrive " The smug voice made Tony, if possible, even angrier, but he could do nothing else than slowly approach. The remark about his team had also been a wake up call because Tony had completely forgotten about them, he was so used to fighting alone.

"I'm sorry guys but we have a hostage situation here and I need to go in, but I really hope that you're getting closer now because I will need help to get them out of here" He spoke quickly as he slowly approached, because he needed all the time he could get to set the team in on the situation and prepare a solution.  
"I thought I told you not to approach. What are you doing getting involved in a hostage situation?"  
"I'm sorry, Rogers, but it isn't my fault that they have taken two lovely ladies as hostages and I really need to get them out of there"  
"Yes of course you do, the safety of the hostages is full priority, but you still shouldn't have moved in without orders." The Captain sounded very annoyed and for a second Tony felt relived that he didn't stand face to face with the war-hero.  
"Sure, sure, Captain. Clint, how long until you arrive?" Tony felt a weird sense of pleasure from ignoring Rogers.  
"One minute and fifteen seconds" Clint was all business now, because even if they could joke around before or during a mission it was never a joke when the safety of civilians was concerned.  
"Good. Thor, are you there?"  
"Yes, what do you need?" His voice was firm and Tony was relived that he was inside the plane so that he could share his plan with him and the rest of the team.  
"I need all of you attacking at the same time. Make a big distraction and attack multiple places at once but remember that they are only humans so you don't need to go all out. Bruce, how much do you think Hulk will smash if you let him out to play? Because he would certainly cause a distraction"  
"I'm not really sure but he sure is close now" Bruce's voice was strained in the way that Tony knew meant that he was restraining the Hulk.  
"Are you sure you can handle it, Doctor? Or should we let you off here?" Steve sounded concerned but Tony couldn't help to get annoyed with him.  
"Of course you can't let him off! Bruce can handle this without a problem and you really can't waste time on stopping!"  
"Yes I know you have faith in him but we still can't risk-"  
"Shut up!" Tony would probably get a lot of problems for that later but right now he didn't care, he was only a few meters away from the hostages now and the situation was sensitive enough without Rogers distrust. "I'm landing now and I will lose contact but I need Thor and Rogers to be beneath my position in 20 seconds, and be ready to catch"

Tony cut the connection as he landed and quickly took in the situation. It appeared to be twelve men in his immediate presence on the walkway on the wall, two who held the woman down and two who pointed guns at them, the rest had their alien weapons aimed at him.  
"Now, remove your suit or the girl dies" This time it was one of the men before him that spoke and the man who had his rifle aimed at the girl shook it, as if to make the point clearer.  
"No please! She's my daughter! Don't hurt her! Take me instead!" The elder woman cried out in panic and started thrashing wildly.  
"Shut it, or she dies even faster!" the man holding her roared and she stopped struggling with a strangled sob. Tony was practically burning with anger now because the woman's red hair made him think of Pepper and the mere though of someone hurting her made him want to kill something. Preferably the terrorists that he had just told his team not to kill.

"Ironman, hand over the suit or they die, and do it quick" Tony hurriedly raised the visor and begged that Clint had been correct in his time estimation, because then he had 15 seconds to go. It was with a heavy feeling in his stomach that he then proceeded to remove the entire helmet.

Twelve seconds.

"Hand the weapon to me" a tall heavy built man said and then took the helmet from Tony's hand with much more force than necessary and it took all of his self control not to take it back.

Nine seconds.

He removed the left gauntlet and the man took it just as forcefully.

Seven seconds.

The other gauntlet and then both arm-pieces. Now he had his head and arms unprotected. Funny how his two most useful resources would be the first to lose protection.

Four seconds.

"The shoes, I don't want you flying away" It was with sinking feeling in his heart he removed his right boot, because without them he wouldn't be able to fly.

Two seconds.

A man cried out a warning and then chaos was over them. A small jet flew in and the Hulk roared and attacked. One second, Tony thought with a smile and then he launched forward, his lonely thrusters giving the extra push.  
"Sorry" he muttered as he flew straight into the two hostages and pushed them over the wall. He could barely distinguish their screams before bullets and lasers pierced the world around him. A few bullets bounced of his breast plate as he launched to the side, cowering his head with his arms.  
"Hulk!" he roared with as much power as his lungs could muster and then he felt the piercing pain as bullets penetrated his flesh as when threw himself over the wall.


	5. Chapter 5

Now it's time for my customary apology for the late chapter! I AM SO SORRY. I just had so much trouble with this chapter because I didn't know how I should write it! I ended up writing in a new persons POV, I hope that's not a problem! The next will be Tony but after that I don't know. What do you, my lovely reader, think? Should I continue with only Tony or should I write more Clint or perhaps some Bruce? I would like your thoughts on that! Now on with this chapter, even thought I'm not happy with it at all.

I also want to thank everyone that reads this! It's just so amazing to know that more than hundred people actually think this good enough to follow! Thank you so much!  
Oh, and I still don't own The Avengers.

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**Not a Hero, chapter five**

"Shut up!" Said Tony and Clint didn't know if he should laugh at or flee from Steve when Tony interrupted him. He looked as if someone had punched him at the same time as he was force-fed lemons.

"I'm landing now and I will lose contact, but I need Thor and Rogers to be beneath my position in 20 seconds, and be ready to catch" Tony cut the connection and for a second everyone was quiet.  
"How come he always makes everything so hard?" Steve muttered before turning to Clint "Can we be there in time to catch whatever it is his going to throw over the edge?"  
"Of course, but you and Thor will have to jump out of the plane at the exact time that I turn left. Can you do that without a parachute?"  
"He won't need a parachute, whatever that is, I can take us down easily" Thor said just as Steve was opening his mouth to answer. Poor boy, he was never allowed to speak today.  
"Good, then prepare" Natasha cut in from the seat beside Clint in the cockpit of the plane.  
"I think I will also jump of now" Clint glanced over his shoulder to look at Bruce and he could do nothing but agree with him, even if he, just as Tony, had faith in the Hulk it wouldn't be good if Bruce changed inside the plane, and Bruce was starting to look a little bit green.  
"Yep, you can jump of as well" Clint said and then he opened the hatch at the back of the plane and prepared to do a sharp turn.

The fortress came into view and Clint allowed himself to marvel at it for a second before he focused completely on the task at hand. The plane headed straight for one more second and then he shouted;  
"NOW!" and turned left. He heard the roar of the Hulk and in the next heartbeat he was straightening up the plane and avoiding the open fire from the terrorists. With the widespread focus he had from years of work in the field he observed how two women were falling over the edge of the wall and how Steve and Thor caught one each. Clint couldn't withhold a smile at that. Tony's crazy plan had worked.

"HULK!" Tony's voice reached him through the still open hatch and Clint felt terrified at how completely desperate he sounded. He searched the wall for Tony but the quick movement of the Hulk caught his eye and then he noticed the red figure falling from the wall. Hulk caught him, because it was Tony that fell, and they landed on the ground with a heavy thud, just like they had in New York during Loki's invasion. The roar from the Hulk even sounded the same, furious but lined with more pain and worry than even Clint would have thought possible coming from the angry beast.

"I think something's wrong with Stark" Natasha said from beside him and Clint could do nothing but agree and he quickly steered the plane towards the Hulk. He landed and quickly got out of the plane towards his two friends but he really hadn't prepared for the sight that met him. Tony, with his head, arms and right foot bare was bleeding heavily from his left arm and his unprotected leg. He seamed to be unconscious and Hulk cradled him like a mother cradles her child.  
"Hulk, I can take care of Tony now, please hand him over to me" Clint said slowly as he neared the two. Hulk stared angrily at him for a few seconds and Clint feared that he wouldn't allow Clint to take Tony but then his face softened.  
"Metal man hurt. Hawk help" He said and handed Tony to Clint. He almost collapsed under the dead weight of his friend but he somehow managed to stay standing.  
"Thanks mate" he mumbled to Hulk and then turned around to the Quinn-jet. Just then someone fired at them from above but Hulk threw himself over them and with him as an umbrella for the bullets Clint managed to get Tony to the jet. Natasha waited with the two hostages that Steve had handed of and she helped get Tony onboard as Hulk threw himself at the ones attacking the plane. As soon as Tony was safely inside Clint rushed to the cockpit and put the plane in the air. Natasha put on some makeshift bandages to stop the heavy bleeding and then, without giving Clint time to say anything she grabbed a parachute and jumped out.  
"You need to get Stark to a hospital" She said through the comm. "I'm going to join the fight, we'll be fine without you so fly now." Clint didn't argue with her and steered the plane straight back towards New York.  
"Captain, I have the hostages and Tony is injured so I'm taking them to a hospital" He then reported.  
"Good, we'll be fine without you" Steve answered and Clint could hear him breathing heavily from the fight. Then he stopped worrying about the fight and just flew as fast as he could, because his friend's life could depend on it.

Clint reached the closest hospital in little under ten minutes and if he gave the people working there a heart attack by landing just before the main entrance he didn't care. Nurses came running out and he quickly waved them into the jet and to Tony's still and bleeding form. One of them turned back to call for a stretcher and Clint helped two others to remove the suit. In that moment he was extremely glad that Tony had shown him and Bruce how to do that a few days ago because otherwise it would have been a serious issue. Just as they managed to remove the last piece, the heavy chest plate, nurses returned with a stretcher and Tony was wheeled away into the hospital, but not before Clint had sharply instructed them that Tony needed the best care that they could offer and that they didn't have to worry about money. A small part of Clint didn't want to let him go but reason easily crushed that voice and he helped other nurses to get the hostages, who both had passed out from chock, on stretchers. When they had been wheeled away as well Clint realized that he had to move the Quinn-jet, because it started to get a lot of attention, so he got in and moved it to the back of the big parking lot behind the hospital. By then the first SHIELD agents had arrived so he left them to watch the plane as he hurried into the hospital.

He got to the reception and was then showed to an empty waiting room outside the emergency surgery. There he sat down and after five minutes a few agents joined him. They reminded him to contact Fury, witch he had completely forgotten, so it was with great annoyance he returned to the plane to contact his boss since the hospital was to full of listening ears.

He returned an hour later with the knowledge that the fight was as good as over and a tongue-lashing from Fury still ringing in his ears. The superspy had apparently not appreciated him landing the Quinn-jet in front of a public hospital. Other agents had now flown it away but Clint stayed at the hospital, since he had brought Tony here it was his responsibility to make sure he was alright and received the best treatment you could buy for money, but since Tony was still in surgery the archer sat down in one of the chairs and waited. After half an hour a nurse came to fetch him and he quickly followed her to a big private recovery room. Clint was relived to see that his instructions and the fact that Tony was Tony Stark had gotten him a private room. He entered the room and was met by a serious looking doctor who immediately gave him a summary of the genius condition.  
"He was shot one time in his right foot and two in his left arm but he's stable now, he was lucky, because the bullets didn't hit any bones and no important nerves were damaged. The only real danger was the amount of bleeding but that is no problem now. We did, however, have to give him a blood transfusion as you can see but he will recover completely." Clint listened to all of this at the same time that the observed the genius. Tony lay on a bed with bandages on his entire left arm and right leg. His face was covered with an oxygen mask and he had two tubes sticking out of his other arm, one with a clear liquid and the other one with blood. Clint was used to see people in hospitals; he was even used to being the patient himself, but it felt weird to see the energetic and witty genius lie unmoving in a bed. He shock the feeling away and sat down in a chair beside the bed to wait.


End file.
